RABINDRANATH TAGORE AND JERNAIL SINGH ANAND

Mauro Montacchiesi (Rome)

ESERGO

“Faith is the bird that, when the dawn is still dark, feels the light..” — Rabindranath Tagore

PREFACE

In the brownian traffic of cosmic thought, few, very few indeed, are the voices that shine with luminescing clarity -Rabindranath Tagore and Jernail Singh Anand are two of them. Although they are many years apart, they are brought together in the spiritual and poetic sphere of existence, where their philosophies, ethics and aesthetic minds intermingle in a metaphysical quest. This meeting is not a mere dialogue of minds, but an eavesdropping of two souls: two souls that are committed to truth, to beauty and to human advancement. Bengal’s mystic bard meets bio-textual consciousness sage of a later age; Tagore and Anand speak across the time and space of centuries and continents.

MONOLOGUE BY TAGORE

I am the hushed tone of the break of day.

My words are drawings in the air, my grief and my joy have come and met.

The universe is not a problem to be solved but a poem to be sung. In every flower’s whisper, in every beggar’s palm, I see the face of the Infinite.

Not to teach, but to wake. The soul is not a lesson but a dance.” Oh Earth, with fire let me kiss you, and in your embrace vanish.

HAIKU

Waves of morning light

caress the soul’s silent shore

—truth blooms in stillness.

MONOLOGUE BY ANAND

I am the pen of the hopeless, the scream of the battered Earth.

My ink suffers of time, my pen mourns.

The truth is not a relic, it is a cry. I’m moving with some prophets/ eating with the orphans.

I saw my thirst mirrored, there in Whitman and Puran Singh. In the mirror of Whitman and Puran Singh, I found my thirst; I learnt my thirsting. Out of this thirst, I forged the theory of Bio-Text—where blood and word can no longer be told apart.

APHORISM

“The poem is written by the world whispering through the soul, not by the poet.”

DIALOGUE BETWEEN TAGORE AND ANAND

TAGORE: Do you write with joy, Anand, or with wounds?

ANAND: I write because wounds have learned to sing. And you?

TAGORE: I sang before I knew what sorrow meant. Then sorrow became my scale.

ANAND: We have walked the same riverbanks, then. I named the stream Bio-Text. You called it Gitanjali.

TAGORE: And yet, a longing for the Divine in the human, the current is the same.

ANAND: The poem is our proof, our protest, our prayer.

TAGORE: If truth be told. The poet speaks, even in silence.

ANAND: And the poet restore to health, in suffering.

TAGORE: Like bread among seekers, then let our ink be shared.

SYNTHESIS

In their dialogic dance, Tagore and Anand, unveil the poem as a sacred act: both offering and resistance, both vision and balm. The mystic and the reformer merge into a single pulse of conscience. Their words, whether sung or bled, form a liturgy of hope in the age of dissonance.

PARALIPOMENON

The play takes the form of a dreamed conversation between two great poets who write in right-minded, spiritually questing ways. The form transitions seamlessly blip by blip from monologue to dialogue, aphorism to synthesis, and calls to mind Tagore’s transformative mysticism and Anand’s existential activism. The haiku is a frozen breath of union, and the aphorism is the metaphysical embodiment.

AUTHOR 

Mauro Montacchiesi is one of the leading Italian intellectuals, multi talented and multi awarded author, ex President  of the A.I.A.M. International Academy of Modern Art in Rome. 

DR. ANAND:

Dr. Jernail Singh Anand, with an opus of 180 plus books, is Laureate if the Seneca, Charter of Morava, Franz Kafka and Maxim Gorky awards.  His name adorns the Poets’ Rock in Serbia. Anand is a towering literary figure whose work embodies a rare fusion of creativity, intellect, and moral vision. He’s not just an Indian author but a global voice, challenging readers to confront the complexities of existence while offering hope through art and ethics.   If Tagore is the serene sage of a colonial past, Anand is the fiery prophet of a chaotic present.

PRODUCTION OF SMART SUPERABSORBENT POLYMERS FOR SEALING CRACKS AND INCREASING THE STRENGTH OF CONCRETE STRUCTURES

Dean of the Faculty of Chemistry, Termez State University: B.A. Kholnazarov
E-mail: baxodir.xolnazarov@rambler.ru
Student of the Faculty of Chemistry, Termez State University: Jo‘rayev Ulug‘bek
E-mail: ulugbekjorayev901@gmail.com

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Abstract

This scientific work is devoted to studying the production of smart superabsorbent polymers (SAPs) and their integration into concrete mixtures with the aim of solving the problem of cracking in concrete structures and extending their service life. The study analyzes the hydrophilic properties of SAPs, particularly their ability to absorb and retain moisture from the surrounding environment and how this contributes to sealing microcracks and capillary voids within concrete. Furthermore, it demonstrates through practical experiments how the self-healing properties of these polymers enhance the structural integrity and water resistance of concrete.

The paper outlines the synthetic production methods of SAPs, their granulometric composition, chemical stability, and interaction with concrete. The final results serve to improve the long-term durability of concrete products, reduce maintenance costs, and contribute to the development of environmentally friendly innovative building materials. Moreover, SAPs help retain moisture within the concrete, thus supporting the continuation of the cement hydration process.

During the study, various SAP brands, their physicochemical properties, optimal dosages, and methods of integration into concrete mixes were examined experimentally. The results showed a significant improvement in crack resistance, water durability, and strength of concrete samples containing SAPs. This innovative approach enhances the reliability of building materials and extends their service life.

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Keywords:

Concrete structures, crack sealing, smart polymers, superabsorbent polymers (SAP), self-healing materials, strength, hydration process, water resistance, innovative construction materials, concrete composition, crack resistance, polymer additives, service life of concrete, construction material innovation, SAP technology, microstructure enhancement, environmentally stable materials, variable humidity conditions, technological additives, mechanical properties of concrete.

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Introduction

Today, in the construction industry, requirements such as durability, strength, and long-term performance are of crucial importance. In particular, ensuring the structural stability of concrete constructions remains a pressing issue. Although concrete is one of the most widely used construction materials, it is prone to the formation of internal and external microcracks over time due to various factors. These cracks weaken the structure, lead to corrosion, and shorten the service life of the material.

Therefore, developing technologies that allow concrete to self-heal and automatically seal such cracks is a significant goal. In recent years, smart materials—particularly superabsorbent polymers (SAPs)—have emerged as a promising solution, attracting increasing attention from the scientific and technical communities. These materials can absorb and retain environmental moisture and expand in volume within the concrete to fill cracks as they form. Additionally, by promoting continued cement hydration, SAPs enhance the internal structure of concrete.

This study focuses on producing such SAPs, investigating their properties, and evaluating their practical application in concrete mixtures. Despite the widespread use of concrete, one of its main disadvantages is the development of cracks due to internal pressure, temperature fluctuations, or external loads. These cracks reduce the mechanical strength of concrete and make it more susceptible to external influences, ultimately decreasing structural reliability and increasing repair needs.

Modern construction material technologies offer innovative approaches to solving this issue. In particular, the use of smart materials such as SAPs to develop self-sealing mechanisms in concrete is gaining significant interest. These hydrophilic polymers react with moisture in concrete, expand in volume, and effectively seal cracks. Moreover, they support the continued hydration process of cement, thereby strengthening the internal structure of concrete.

This research provides an in-depth analysis of the use of SAP technology to enhance the strength and crack resistance of concrete.

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Materials and Methods

Materials:
In this study, the following materials were used to improve the crack resistance and strength of concrete mixtures:

1. Portland Cement (CEM I 42.5N): A high-quality binder and the main component of concrete.
2. Natural Sand (0–2 mm): Ensures uniform mass and density of concrete.
3. Crushed Stone (5–10 mm): Enhances the mechanical strength of concrete structures.
4. Superabsorbent Polymers (SAP): Self-healing polymers that absorb moisture and expand to fill cracks.
5. Clean Water: Required for cement hydration and activation of SAPs.
6. Plasticizer (polycarboxylate-based): Reduces viscosity of the mix and improves workability.
7. SAP Stabilizer (if needed): Controls excessive swelling of SAPs and ensures even distribution in the mix.

Methods:
The following tests and experimental methods were applied to assess the crack resistance and mechanical properties of concrete and to study the effects of SAPs:

1. Preparation of Concrete Mix:
   Concrete mixes were prepared according to the GOST 10181-2014 standard. SAPs were added in amounts ranging from 0.1% to 0.5% of the cement mass. All samples were prepared under identical conditions using the same components.
2. Determining Water Absorption Capacity of Polymers:
   The water absorption of SAP samples was measured using the gravimetric method: pre-weighed SAP samples were immersed in distilled water for 24 hours, and weight increase was recorded.
3. Compressive Strength Testing:
   The compressive strength of concrete samples was tested at aging intervals of 7, 14, and 28 days following GOST 10180-2012 standards. Each test was conducted three times, and average values were calculated.
4. Crack Sealing Evaluation:
   Pre-cracked concrete samples were stored in a humid environment. The extent to which SAPs sealed the cracks was observed microscopically. Changes in crack width and depth were monitored over 28 days.
5. Water Resistance and Capillary Absorption Test:
   Water permeability of SAP-modified concrete was assessed using a vacuum chamber absorption test.
6. Microstructure Analysis (Structural Study):
   The internal structure of the concrete was analyzed using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) to study the distribution of SAPs and their effect on hydration.

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Production of Superabsorbent Polymers (SAPs)

Superabsorbent polymers (SAPs) are hydrophilic polymers capable of absorbing and retaining large amounts of water. These are typically based on acrylic acid and its derivatives and are produced using specific chemical processes. The production process involves the following key stages:

1. Monomer Preparation:
   The main raw material for SAPs is acrylic acid (CH₂=CHCOOH). It is neutralized using agents such as NaOH, adjusting the pH to the 6–7 range.
2. Polymerization Process:
   The neutralized acrylic acid is mixed with a small amount of cross-linker (e.g., N,N′-methylenebisacrylamide) and an initiator (e.g., ammonium persulfate or sodium persulfate). These components initiate a radical chain polymerization reaction, usually carried out in an aqueous medium at 50–70°C.
3. Gel Formation:
   The resulting polymer forms an elastic gel with a cross-linked structure, capable of absorbing large volumes of water.
4. Drying:
   The fresh SAP gel is dried completely using a vacuum oven or a low-temperature dryer, resulting in a solid yet hydrophilic polymer granule.
5. Grinding and Sieving:
   The dried SAP is ground using a crusher and sieved to achieve the desired particle size (typically 100–800 microns). These granules are then added to concrete mixes.
6. Quality Control of Finished SAP:
   The final SAP product is tested under laboratory conditions for its water absorption capacity, density, swelling recovery, and thermal stability.

MOVING DAY CRIME SCENE

When it’s happening, we feel like burglars

robbing ourselves, ransacking the house,

stealing every piece of furniture

and clothing, each book, vacation memento,

the CD’s, the food, the brooms, the umbrellas,

the plants in pots, even the dog’s bowl.

You name it and we steal it from

the unsuspecting people who’ve

livedt here all these years.

We look back from the end of the street

and see, with nothing left to hold it together,

time collapse upon itself.

It’s like a great eraser abrasing its

way across a chalk-board, rubbing

the lives, their meaning, into oblivion.

A FARM OVERGROWN

I scour

the rocky soil

where my father

lost his belief

in God’s munificence.

Lyric forest embalms

old hopes

of making a living.

Only some stumps

and abasement survive.

Oh there’s a harvest here

all right

but it lacks the human hand,

merely ratifies.

beauty’s way with failure.

In pebbles,

the generations end,

the names, the dates,

stripped like bark

from the green veneer.

But it’s just the wind,

the shuffle of brush,

amiable bird song

mixed up with

harsh-throated warnings.

In my father’s wake,

everything’s

sprouting and growing,

blooming and shedding.

But nothing takes root

like the stones.

MORNING SPIDER

I’m up early, early enough to watch the night slip away.

As always, I’m at the bottom of a mountain.

As always, I am non-committal as to my first step.

I just sit here as new sun nudges away bits of shadow.

I amuse myself with straight lines because I can’t see where

the bent ones go. Coffee begins its occupation of my veins.

My eyes roll around my face, then settle in their sockets.

The cat, with a chrysanthemum in its lapel, rubs my ankles.

The mountain is descending itself.  At hill height,

it looks up and, with mighty breath, blows its own head off.

Then it flattens out. I can walk across it.

Light enters the room, is selling uncut flowers.

Above, one sky stands in for all the skies that could be.

It’s the ceiling, like a canvas, where, in a far corner,    

a solitary spider signs his name.

NEW MORNING

On a new morning,

the reds, burnt oranges,

of dawn,

fade into fresh light

that becomes

the final arbiter

of stale darkness

and black sky gives way

to pale blue

and downy clouds,

as trees

flap in the brief

flute notes of the breeze

and sunrays

burn away

tiny drops of

water on the grass tips,

wake the flowers,

draw out the petals

from their nighttime fold.

THE WORLD OUTSIDE WHERE IT BELONGS

I am awake,
fingers slow burning
as they grip hot coffee,
heart, a Geiger counter
finding love in your still sleeping body,
and, on the other side,
brain pecking through
the grievances
already assembled
in my thoughts,
in the newspaper glaring
from my laptop.

The world is a sorry place
but the people in it
find such comfort
in nothing more than
a shape in the sheets,
a soft breath contesting
the solid headwinds of my own.
Strangers die
but loved ones live.
Soldiers kill
but no harm comes
to those in bedrooms.

Soon, you too will
rouse from sleep and dreams,
reconvene with what keeps
you up at night:
the wars,
the inequalities,
the murders, the rapes,
the homeless
in their winter blues.

It’s a dangerous world.
We are safe.
Life turns ugly.
We are beautiful.
Others are what we read about.
We’re what we believe.

John Grey is an Australian poet, US resident, recently published in New World Writing, River And South and The Alembic. Latest books, “Bittersweet”, “Subject Matters” and “Between Two Fires” are available through Amazon. Work upcoming in Paterson Literary Review, White Wall Review and Flights.

Pinpointing Me

1

The rainbow, in the gray. Just outside my grandmother’s house, a double rainbow formed. A little glimpse of color, nothing artificial. The first blossom of an idea.

2

A soft blanket, a touch of home when I was away. Carrying the promise of a quiet, dark room, and a time to dream. Fall into another world.

3

The library. A palace of stories. Unwavering bliss in the embrace of a book.

4

Graphite and crayons sculpting a gateway to another realm, limited only by hands and imagination. The mind moving fingers across paper, no finish line in sight.

5

Little alphabets that hang on walls, begging to be admired. Offering escape, if you can understand. Messages that few could read, but the code was clear to me.

6

Aisles of stories, too many to pick. The bag on my shoulder too heavy for a child, continually filled. Wanting for more of the neverending piles of possibility.

7

A light purple chair with white polka dots offered rest. Space to run to the worlds carried in my hands. A million truths beneath manicured covers.

8

Sharpies that wrote my name across my books. Something that I owned. Something that was mine. Claiming it. Staking the territory that I had worked so hard to earn.

9

The American Flag, a chance to be seen. To share my words. To show who I am. The moment that I realized I would need to work harder. The insignificant moment to my classmates, a defining one to me.

10

My stories that never left. Reshaped and revitalized, again and again. Following me through my journey. Seeing what I’ve become now, versus what I was then. Me.

Reagan Shin is a writer and rising senior attending high school in Virginia. She is currently assembling her portfolio for university and enjoys writing prose and short fiction in quiet corners of libraries and cafés.

My Confessional

Let this page be my confessional & these metaphors my prayer 

for I have sinned in silence too long

my tongue dressed in the mourning clothes of vowels

Words are the daggers I sheathe in beauty

each blade learning to masquerade as a rose

Every poem a breath stolen from despair

a blackbird in my throat rehearsing the opera of grief

until my chest becomes a stage

The pen is a restless pilgrim

wandering the parchment like a fevered exile

its footsteps blistered into the whiteness

searching for an altar

where absolution sleeps beneath a veil of dust

The past is a poet & I am its recurring metaphor

a line break abandoned mid‑sentence

a chorus stitched from yesterday’s ash

Our Confessional

I have learned my grief is just a translation

of the grief cities carry when they collapse into themselves

Every cracked street is a broken rib

& somewhere the earth flinches in my exact shape

In my circadian cycle I battle pain like a front soldier 

bayonet sharpened on the moon’s bone

sleep a trench I never climb out of

my shadow hauling the wounded daylight back into my skull

The wound in me is the wound in the river

the wound in the river is the wound in the sea

& the sea has been weeping long before my name was born

We drink from the chalice of tomorrow

while today still burns on our tongue.

My father’s warning walks beside me like a second spine

if you walk the path of a fool you will bear the consequences

& the road will bend to whisper them into your ankles

I dream of freedom the way continents dream of drifting back together 

as if loneliness is the first geography we all learn

And so I drag my shadow through the corridors of my own body

searching for a window wide enough for my wounds to leap from

Some nights the pen turns executioner

chiseling my ribs into confessionals

& I write until the page becomes a mirror

where ruin learns to call itself by my name

Authenticity Reigns Supreme

Voltaire wrote his first stage play

‘Oedipe’ whilst

imprisoned in the Bastille

… that’s what I deem

a fantastic call to Literary Arms.

We cut our own pathways

… there is nothing

‘groovy’ about imitation,

the greatest form of flattery

is admiration and appreciation.

My written lines are infused

with my character,

which has taken a lifetime

to create, a single (oftentimes

traumatic) notch/scar at a time.

I am as much my ‘Work’

as I am my intrinsic DNA…

and the deeper I dig,

like a Welshman mining coal,

the Clearer my Purpose becomes.

Cold Chips In Yesterday’s Newspaper

He used to be a ‘Hero’

… until she booted

him out, and moved

that Ex-Jailbird in.

Ran into a burning

house and saved

2 infants, years ago

… passed them

down from a window

to a mate in the yard.

Now, he kips in that

end bus shelter…

is always in the bins,

and bursts into tears

whenever anybody

shows him ‘Kindness’

… which is why

everyone has Stopped.

Mr. Brackets

Failing [Dismally] as a Puppeteer

… he took up Knife Throwing,

whilst waiting for Inspiration

to bring a new [Creative] Target.

“I once fell in love with a fallen

Chorus Girl I met in a bar,

one rainy afternoon in Lampeter.

She was on the run from London

… sloppy-drunk, yet still only

halfway between complete Ruin

and what she had [Once] been.”

There will be no ‘Permanency’

… if you surround yourself with

[Fleeting] people… ill-equipped

with a personality and character,

un-self-centred enough for Pillion.

Listening To The Blues Without The Blues

Standing out in the kitchen

writing a poem…

whilst in the background

John Lee Hooker’s

busy singing about being

10,000 miles away

from the woman he loves.

Meanwhile, my emotions

are calm and balanced…

I’m after ‘The Bag’,

gunning for advancement,

and carving a pathway

off into uncharted territory.

New Supply, And The Preparation of

“… we END with saying ‘Grace’

but begin with Murdering

ALL ‘Trust’ and warm

‘Feeling’ towards us… so as

to build up ‘Control’ properly.”

NEGLECT is a Weapon,

and Silence [when utilised

properly] is the cruellest

… Torture Chamber…

you can ‘Subject’ someone to.

“Is this going to hurt?”

… give no Clarification,

‘Anticipation’ is the Key to

Nightmare Doors Unimaginable…

Unapproachable [Invisible Barriers]

Fresh flowers every birthday

for the last 15 years…

and she still doesn’t know

it’s me who sends them.

Not the prettiest girl in class,

but without a doubt,

the sweetest… and those

‘Freckles’, melt my heart so.

The only time I got sent

in front of the Headmaster

was for sticking up for her

when that snivelling bully

hit her bag onto the ground.

I didn’t realise my own

strength… bloodied his

nose and shrunk his pride…

she gave me a Kitkat

in the dinner hall as thanks,

I STILL have the wrapping.

She’s been married twice,

although she’s single now…

and she’s the ONLY woman

on this damned planet,

I cannot Brave a ‘Smile’ for.

Polaris

Finding your own Personal

‘North Star’ is Paramount.

Success is oftentimes

achieved along the way

to attaining a Goal…

yet, the urge to hit a Target

still out of reach…

will keep you Battling on.

For decades I associated

with Life’s dispossessed,

the Vagabonds, Gypsies

and wayward Drifters…

it did provide ‘writing

material’, but also stunted

and slowwwwed me down.

I was lucky enough

to be born with Ambition,

‘Bigger Picture’ vision…

and with an endless thirst

for bettering myself

through Ritualistic Graft,

and ‘Intense’ Self-Learning.

Paul Tristram is a widely published Welsh writer. He yearns to tattoo porcelain bridesmaids instead of digging empty graves for innocence at midnight, this too may pass, yet. His novel “Crazy Like Emotion”, collection of shorter fiction “Kicking Back Drunk ‘Round The Candletree Graves”, and full-length poetry collections “The Dark Side Of British Poetry: Book 1 of Urban, Cinematic, Degeneration”, “It Is Big And It Is Clever: Book 1 of A Punk Rock Hostile Takeover” and “South Wales Outlaw: Book 2 of A Punk Rock Hostile Takeover” are all available by Close To The Bone Publishing.